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Boris Johnson has claimed the treatment of a veteran BBC radio DJ who says he was "forced" to quit because he accidentally played a song with an offensive racial term in it was "utterly disgraceful".

BBC Radio Devon broadcaster David Lowe found himself in hot water after airing an 82-year-old version of The Sun Has Got His Hat On which featured the lyric: "He's been tannin' niggers out in Timbuktu".

Johnson said Britain was living in a "Boko Haram world", in reference to the terrorist network that kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls in Nigeria. Boko Haram forbids Muslims to take part in any political or social activity connected to Western society and has killed more than 1,500 people this year.

In his Daily Telegraph column, Mr Johnson wrote: "In our own modest way, we live in a Boko Haram world, where it all depends on the swirling rage of the internet mob, and where terrified bureaucrats and politicians are borne along on a torrent of confected outrage.

"There is no consistency in the outlook of the Nigerian maniacs: they use weapons produced by the very capitalist system they claim to deplore, for instance.

"There is certainly no logic at the BBC. They should restore Mr Lowe to his job – if he will take it – and the entire BBC board should go down to Devon to apologise in person, and at their own expense."

He added: "Their treatment of this man is utterly disgraceful".

Johnson wrote that "a clerisy of self-appointed internet witchdoctors went completely loco – or perhaps boko is the word" when footage emerged of Jeremy Clarkson using the same word.

Lowe, 68, apologised to officials at BBC Radio Devon, but he said it fell on deaf ears.

Emma Clements, the station's acting editor, reportedly told Lowe that while he had "properly" dealt with his mistake, she thought it would be best for him to step aside.

After his exit, Lowe claims he was asked to say he was pursuing other interests.